In Delhi, we have to make the unenviable choice – protection from the smog or the virus

A surgical mask or Covid-specific face covering doesn’t protect you from all air pollution. In Delhi that’s a real problem, writes Adam Withnall

Pedestrians cross the road in New Delhi (AFP via Getty)

While the anti-masker movement has gained traction in many parts of the world, in India’s polluted capital city we face a very different problem.

Stepping out of the home these days – for an interview or to our Delhi bureau – I am faced with a question, not of whether to wear a mask, but rather of which mask to wear.

Very early on in the pandemic, the Indian government passed a national order making the use of masks mandatory in all public spaces, both indoors and outdoors. At the time, I questioned government ministers on this because it seemed controversial, and far beyond World Health Organisation recommendations. But experts told me that it made sense because of the challenge of enforcing social distancing in densely packed Indian cities – and in the end, the world has more or less followed suit.